PROLOGUE
XX
“Bakit ka aalis? Sumagot ka, Warrencio!”
Today's my Graduation Day and it was promulgated to the whole student body that I am the valedictorian. Hindi maitatago ang saya na nararamdaman ko ngayon. Sino nga ba ang hindi? So many kind and flattering words I received from other people at wala na akong sinukli kundi ang malapad kong ngiti.
“Warrencio! Wag mo kaming iwan!”
Pero ang bilis naman atang bumaliktad ng mundo. From north pole to south pole. From paradise to hell. Kung kanina lang e parang nasa cloud nine ako. Ano na ang nangyayari ngayon?
“Warrencio! Maawa ka sa amin ng mga anak mo!”
Pinipigilan ni Mommy si Daddy sa pag-alis. Inaabot niya ito pero hindi niya mahawakan. Dala narin siguro ng mga luha niyang kusang pinapalabo ang mga mata.
“Daddy! Daddy!”
I looked at my younger sister. Tears were actively running down her sweet and angelic face. I felt my heart readies itself to claim all her pain, not minding na dodoble ang sakin.
Pain. Dagdagan pa ng anger. Anger to this man, to my so-called Daddy. I pulled my sister and hugged her tightly. Seryoso, she's just 9 yrs. old! She's just a child to bear this awful situation. Just a child!
“I need to go,” Daddy said coldly.
Naramdaman kong may kung anong basa sa leeg ko. And I realized pumatak na ang luhang kanina ko pa pinipigilan. I stared at him. He's not my Superman anymore.
Heroes tend to leave their family to save the world. But heck, aren't a family supposed to be someone's world? Aren't we his world?
“Go away now, bad guy,” sabi ko sa kanya.
Bakit siya aalis? Bakit nangyayari ito? Bakit.. Paano niya nagagawa sa amin 'to? I don't understand.. Wala akong alam.. And whatever reason behind this stupid stunt of his, it will never change the fact that he chose to leave us. He chose to hurt us.
“You're making the ladies cry. So go now before I call Superman,” I added. Mas lalong lumakas ang mga iyak nila Mommy. Jeez, I'm trying to be strong here, cooperation naman sana.
“Congratu—”
“And don't ever come back,” I cut his words. Gusto ko nang matapos 'to. Please.
“I'm counting on you, anak.. I really need your help this time.”
And off he went as he gave us his sad smile.. Isn't it ironic? A sad smile. Yeah. At ano raw.. He really needs my help this time? Wow. Sino siya para humingi ng tulong? Tulong saan? To lookout for his family? Huh.
He wants to be the bad guy, panindigan na niya. Huwag na siyang bumalik pa, huwag na siyang magpapakita pa ulit.
From this day onwards, wala na akong ama. I am now responsible for these precious and priceless gifts from God – my Mommy and my sister Camille.
Graduation? More like a burial. We didn't eat; we didn't make a tiny move in this big house. We didn't bother to celebrate.
I went to Daddy's work-room. Ang itim na pintura ay mas lalong umitim sa paningin ko. The sketch of our family picture hanging freely on the wall-- conquered the most part of the left-side corner of the room -- ay parang nababalutan din ng maitim na aura. Ang mga ngiti na naka plaster sa picture ay unti-unting nawawala -- sa paningin ko.
It's not the room for me to be senti, though. Dumako ang paningin ko sa isang working table sa gitna ng kwarto. Unlike the usual, maayos na maayos ang mga gamit doon.
Pinag handaan niya talaga ang pag iwan sa amin. Inisip niya sigurong mapapagod lang kami sa pag ligpit ng mga gamit niya. So thoughtful. Psh.
Nag patuloy ako sa pag halughog ng mga gamit na nandito. Ano nga ba ang hinahanap ko? Ano nga ba ang alam ko? And the hell with these tears! Mapagod naman sana sila sa pag agos!
“There ain't no clues. And you know their thing,” wika ni Mommy. Hindi ko napansin na pumasok na rin siya dito. Nang bigla akong may naalala.
Mommy was a genius!
“Their thing,” I blurted out. “That's it!”
Dali-dali kong binuksan ang isa sa mga drawer at kinuha ang isang maliit na vault. Please sana may laman!
And the moment I opened it, I saw a large-sized petal of rose. I knew it. This is their thing. Nang minsan mapadaan ako dito, I saw Daddy making one of these.
I flipped the back of the petal and saw those beautifully scribbled yet dreadful letters...
“Come or else”
Kinilabutan ako sa nabasa. Is this a threat? For whom? For my Daddy? Pero ang alam ko, he is the loyal comrade of their gang's boss.
Oo. Gangster ang Daddy ko. But I never saw him acted as a real gangster so I know he isn't a bad one. Pero sa nangyayari ngayon? Who knows?
Pain.. Anger.. And there's one catching up on the list... worry. I'm so confused now because of this gangster's note.
Ano nga bang tinatagong katotohanan nito?
BINABASA MO ANG
Note by The Gangster
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